Obama did attend event
Editor:
It is difficult to determine whether Valencia County resident Gary Gibson (in his letter on May 29) is uninformed or just willfully misinformed, but he failed to fact check his anti-Obama screed.
The least bit of research would have found that George W. Bush attended one D-Day ceremony in Normandy, France, in 2004 and that President Obama attended a similar ceremony in Normandy, France, in 2009.
Sorry, facts trump opinion, especially propaganda repeated verbatim.
And while we’re at it, somebody should inform Mr. Gibson that his city of residence has been Rio Communities since July 2013.

G.E. Nordell
Rio Communities

Support community good will
Editor:
In the May 8 issue of the News-Bulletin, Ms. Delberta Nemitz wrote that I should “conform and stop complaining.”
I hope she and others in her camp will be happy to know that regarding my house renumbering, the project is almost finished. I appreciate her attention and advice. I must stop writing like I’m walking on eggshells and instead address the concerns bothering my cranky old frustrated hide. May she continue her happy life.
Not wanting to drag up an old subject, broiled over my previous letter, I believe in all my 73 years, I have learned as much of New Mexico politics as I have since this renumbering project started. I need to stay away from hard-nosed kibitzing about government action, regardless of its smell, since elections come around all too soon for those involved.
As my boss of years past once told me, “Live and let live.” He retired healthy and well-off. Now I’m retired, but I do have an obnoxious, nervous twitch. Maybe it’s because I’m my worst critic.
Still, I do what I can for community goodwill, even while there might be governmental administrative errors or downright blunders and, maybe, heaven forbid, whitewash. My goodwill policy began several years ago after some first-responders came to my aid when I called 911 from my house late one night.
That is the house being re-numbered. Ever since then, I give an annual donation, humble though it is, to the Los Lunas Police Department in gratitude. The fire department is on my list also.
Too, these days, I try to give regular entertainment to seniors like myself. Public trust is what we should always have, like Ms. Nemitz.

Charles Wilson
Los Lunas

Shelter needs your help
Editor:
As an update to my letter we had published in the May 15 edition, the Valencia County Animal Shelter still remains over full, although were getting some help from rescues and a few fosters.
We also have had a couple transports go out this week. Within a three-day period, there were 102 animals taken in. In the week ending on May 17, the shelter took in 150 animals, including dozens of kittens.
Please come by the shelter often if your animal is missing. Still so many are “owner surrenders” who continue to have hard times, owners that move out and leave their animals behind, such as one this week up in the El Cerro area. A female pregnant dog and a young pup were left in their vacant home, the only one they knew with no owners in site nor food or water.
Luckily, the neighbor returned from a trip just in time for the female to deliver her six puppies in the dirt outside, one not surviving. This neighbor, being a saver, reached out for help and this mama and her newborns along with her yard mate went to a rescue this past Saturday.
It is people like this we need. Please reach out help each other. Reach out to all the residents in Valencia County about how spay and neuter is important and needs to be made mandatory. There are many agencies that offer either low cost spay and neuter or free, such as SNIP.
In my last letter, I over looked to mention this SNIP program. It is free for small dogs (exclusive to Valencia County) and the Zimmer Foundation free spay-neuter for cats (which includes Valencia County). Vouchers are free and pay the full cost to spay or neuter your small dog (weighing 40 pounds or under and ages between 4 months and 4 years of age) and includes core and rabies vaccinations. Call 433-9869 and follow the instructions to receive an application. This is sponsored by Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART) and Quixote Humane.
The program lasted until May 31 or until funds run out. But there is also a possibility of obtaining more funding to continue this program. For free spay-neuter of cats, call 466-1676. For medium and large dog low-cost spay-neuter assistance, call New Mexico Animal Friends at 881-7297 or VetCo at 865-0662.
Spay and neuter will be the only way for Valencia County Animal shelter to win this war along with the help of the counties residents. We need your help. Show these animals we care for them.

Gail Mercer
Peralta

Commissioner not open
Editor:
Apparently in Valencia County, when one becomes a candidate for public office, one must give up his/her civil rights, specifically those guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
At least that appears to be the position of Valencia County Commissioner Alicia Aguilar.
If one is a candidate for public office and speaks before the county commission on a matter of some urgency — county revenue — on which Commissioner Aguilar disagrees, she proceeds to viciously launch an attack on the resident of the county.
A citizen of this county, who also happens to be a candidate for public office, addresses the county commission at his or her own peril. That is what happened on Wednesday, May 21, at the commission’s business meeting, when I spoke as a private citizen.
My being on the agenda and subject matter was vetted and cleared about a month prior. But that did not matter to Commissioner Aguilar.
By Commissioner Aguilar’s reasoning, Commissioner Aragon, who happens to be a candidate for public office, should not be allowed to speak with impunity before the Valencia County Commission, i.e. citizens who are candidates for public office must be give up constitutional rights in order to address the county commission, but not so the commissioners themselves.
But, of course, Commissioner Aguilar’s own civil rights remain intact.
It is no wonder then that Valencia County is in such a financial mess when one sitting commissioner (Aguilar) can be the arbiter of which residents can or can not exercise their First Amendment right of free speech.